Device for determining the lie of a golfers stroke

ABSTRACT

A device upon which a golfer may stand and strike a golf ball in his usual and natural manner, and which will, selectively, expose a sheet of light plastic material to the club head and the club head will pass therethrough and form an outline of the club lie or position in its travel path with relation to the level of the playing surface.

United States Patent 1 3,874,673 Beard BEST AVAYLAH'E Apr. 1, 1975 15 1 DEVICE FOR DETERMINING THE LIE OF A 1.826.641 10/1931 GOLFERS STROKE 1.922.735 8/1933 [76] Inventor: Franklin Beard. 14906 C111(.l}'\\'00(l,

Houston. Tex. 77024 {221 Filed: July 19, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 380,856

{521 11.8. C1. 273/186 R, 273/202. 273/195 B [51] Int. Cl A63b 69/36 [58] Field of Search 273/34 A. 186, 196, 200. 273/202. 203. 183. 195

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 664,338 12/1900 Sprague 273/196 X Primary Examiner-George .l. Marlo Attorney, Agent, or FirmRanseler O. Wyatt [57] ABSTRACT A device upon which a golfer may stand and strike a golf ball in his usual and natural manner, and which will, selectively, expose a sheet of light plastic material to the club head and the club head will pass therethrough and form an outline of the club lie or position in its travel path with relation to the level of the playing surface.

5 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures BACKGROI'NI) OI" 'IHF. INVENTION (iolfers come in all sives. tall men. short nten. thin and fat. and in each instance. the length of the.v arm of the individual player may differ. as well as the distance from the player's hands to the playing surface. Most golfclubs are not custom immufactured to the individual player. but rather come in substantially standard. or average. sizes. and the club that will'he too long for one player may he too short for another. The club. when the proper length. will travel in a path. upon a proper stroke. with the sole of the club on a parallel level with the playing surface as it strikes the hall. A player with a club that is too short will be inclined to strike the hall with the heel of the club raised off of the playing surface. which will cause a very poor and inaccurate hall action. also. where the club is too long. the player will he inclined to strike the hall with the toe of the club raised off of the playing surface. This also will cause a poor hall action. Many players. realizing that improper contact with thehall is causing improper ball action. will take an unnatural stance to compensate for this condition. only to again cause poor hall action due to such improper stance. Professional golfers have their clubs customed to fit their exact conformation. This is too costly for the average golfer. who must resort to a limited selection of clubs available in the stores. and such clubs have a variation in the angle of the head of several degrees. With a means for determining the exact angle of the lie of the individual golfer. it is possible to bend the hosel ofthe club to make the head conform to that need.

SUMMARY OF 'I'HF. INVEN'IION A device for detecting the lie of an individual golfer consisting of a platform simulating the turf of a golf course and a tee for holding a lignt weight practice golf hall to be struck by the golfer and a means for raising a plate of severable material into the path of the clttb and measuring the trajectory of the club head by the comparison of the cut-out portion of the plate caused by the golfcrs club head passing therethrough. and a chart having grid lines projected from each lower corner across the chart with the outer ends ofthe grid lines spaced one degree apart. so that when a plate with a cut out portion is placed on said chart an examination of the outline thereof will determine the correction needs to be ntade in the angle of the head with relation to the hosel. The invention further relates to method of measuring the lie of an individual golfer for the purpose of correcting the angle of the head with relation to the hosel.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is'a top plan view of the device:

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view showing the plate lifting mechanism and a plate seat mounted thereon:

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary view of a club head. illustrating the proper lie:

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary view. illustating the elevated toe lie of a club head:

FIG.'5 is a fragmentary view. illustrating the elevated heel lie of a club head:

FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of the plate employed. showing a trajectory cut formed by a club'head. and

the novel FIG. 7 is a top plan view of the measuring grid employed to measure the lie shown in the plate after a golf club head has passed therpthrough.

I)l-.S(RIP'II().\' OF THE PRF.

IZ;\lB()DI!\ll-I;\"I'S In the drawings. the numeral I designates a platform formed of the hinged compartments l. 2 joined by the I hinge 3 and having the top surface thereofeovered with a turf-like ntaterial. 4. resembling a golf green. In the top of the compartment 2 is mounted a pair of golf hall tees S. 6 one on each side of the plate port 7. Inside compartment 2 is the plate mechanism having means for raising and maintaining a plate as 8 in a position in the travel path of the golf club head and in front of the hall. and between the respective tees. so that for either left handed golfers or right handed golfers. the hall may he placed on a tee where it will he contacted by the club head prior to said head making contact with the plate. 7

()n the inside of the compartment 2. in alignment with the slot forming the port 7. is the plate raising mechanism for selectively raising and maintaining the plate 8 in position. which mechanism consists ofthe hydraulic jack 9. and the chute having channeled side members I I. I I and the plate seat 10 which is slidahly mounted in said side members. A hose as I2 connected into the jack 9. has the actuating hulb I3 for pumping up the jack 9. I

A measuring chart I4 is provided having the extending grid lines I5. 15. the lines I5 being extensions of the protraetor graduates and the line l6 being horizontal. parallel with the I80 line of the protraetor.

The top of the compartment 2 is hinged at 18 so that the inside of the compartment may be exposed for repairs or adjustments to the plate raising mechanism.

The lie of a golf club head is the angle at which the sole ofthe club lies in its travel path with relation to the horizontal surface of the turf at the time of impact with the hall.

When it is desired to determine the lie of a particular golfers club. the golfer mounts the stand I and. depending upon whether he is left handed or right handed. a light weight practice golf ball is placed on one of the tees 5. 6 so that the ball is beyond the plate opening 7. with relation to the swing of the golfer. The golfer then assumes his natural stance. and attempts to hit the hall with his regular swing. and after several balls have been so hit. the operator will. while the golfer's club is in a downward movement of his swing. squeeze the bulb I3. moving the piston I8 of the jack 9 upwardly. and lifting the plate seat I0. and the plate mounted thereon. upwardly. moving the plate 8 into the path of the club head of the golfer. so that the golf club head will pass through said plate and its trajectory clearly outlined in the plate. clearly disclosing the lie of the golfer's club. By removing the plate from the chute. where it rests on the seat I0. and placing same on the chart I4. with the lower margin of the plate in parallel alignment with the horizontal line on the chart. the exact degree of misalignment of the club head may be determined. and the exact amount of bend needed in the club hosel to realign the head may be readily ascertained. 'Sevet'al cuts may he desired. and a new plate may he dropped into the chute onto the plate seat 10. and the bulb again squeezed to move the plate into alignment when another lie test is to be made. The

(ill

plates are formed ota plastic material. such as clay. and after once used. may be readily reused by remolding the clay into another plate.

The method herein taught consists ofdetermining the lie of a golfer's club by providing means for assuming a natural stance in striking a golf ball. then exposing a severable plate to the swing of the club head and permilling the club head to pass therethrough forming a cut in said plate indicating the trajectory of the club. placing the plate on a grid-chart and transfering the information on to the chart and determining therefrom the lie and the degree of correction necessary.

While applicant has shown and described the means for manually raising the plate seat to expose the plate to the swing of the club. it is obvious this may similarly be accomplished by other means. such as exposing 'the bulb shown to the heel of the player as he completes a swing. or by electrically closing a switch to operate an electrically powered raising unit. in lieu of the hydraulic jack shown. or by maintaining the seat under tension with a simple spring. and using mechanical means to release the seat when it is desired to lift the plate.

The material used in forming the platemay be a plas ticine clay. such as a modeling clay. or the like. so long as it is readily severable and will leave the desired impression. I

The loft of the player's swing is the position of the toe of the club. with relation to the plane of the turf. at the point of impact with the ball and this may also be determined by this device. the impression inthe plate indieating the angle along the horizontal line of the sole of the club. and where it is desired to correct the loft by bending the hosel. the correction desired may be ascertained. .In the drawing. FIG. 6 is an illustration of a plate bearing an impression of a players swing. The difference between the widest point of lines A and B. in the drawings about l. is the measure of the bend in the hosel required. Thelines A and B are acquired by placing a ruler along the forward end of the sole mark of the club head indicated by the cut through the'plate and pressing to form an indentation. in the plate. finding line A. and making a similar impression along the 0 line at the lowermost point of the sole impression to f nd line BQThese lines are then transferred to a paper chart having protractor lines. The difference between various clubs are readily obtainable.

these two lines may be readily diseernable on the chart shown in FIG. 7. and the e n'rection made. The degree of the angle olthe lol't may be obtained by use of a protractor as shown on the chart in Fl(i. 7. and the hosel bent to increase the angle or decrease the angle to acquire the proper position of the club head for the proper lol't. ('harts indicating the desired angle of the What I claim is:

I. In a means for detecting the lie of a golfers club upon contact with a ball. a platform having upstanding bristle members forming a turf-like top cover and a plate chute formed in said platform. said bristle memhers simulating grass and being on each side of the chute so that a ball may be played from either side. a severable plate adapted to be severed by the head of a swung golf club and retain a pattern of said head's travel therethrough. a plate seat slidably mounted in said chute and adapted to support said scverable plate as the head of a golf club is swung therethrough. severing the plate in the travel path of the club head. a plate port in vertical alignment with said chute. and means for selectively raising and lowering said seat to move said plate into and out of the path of a golf club.

. 2. The device defined in claim 1 wherein said means for raising and lowering said plate seat comprises a vertically movable plate seat. side members having channels formed therein into which said seat extends. and means for remotely controling the raising and lowering of said seat.

3. The device defined in claim I wherein said means for moving said plate comprises a plate seat mounted in vertically anchored channel members. and a hydraulic jack beneatlnand in contact with. said seat. I

4. The device defined in claim 1 wherein said platform is divided into two compartments. said compartments being pivotally joined. and one of said compartments having a hinged top.

. 5. The method of detecting the lie of a golf club as used by an individual golfer comprising exposing a severable plate to the swing of the golfer's club and measuring the trajectory of the club head travel path formed in said plate as said club head passes therethrough. 

1. In a means for detecting the lie of a golfer''s club upon contact with a ball, a platform having upstanding bristle members forming a turf-like top cover and a plate chute formed in said platform, said bristle members simulating grass and being on each side of the chute so that a ball may be played from either side, a severable plate adapted to be severed by the head of a swung golf club and retain a pattern of said head''s travel therethrough, a plate seat slidably mounted in said chute and adapted to support said severable plate as the head of a golf club is swung therethrough, severing the plate in the travel path of the club head, a plate port in vertical alignment with said chute, and means for selectively raising and lowering said seat to move said plate into and out of the path of a golf club.
 2. The device defined in claim 1 wherein said means for raising and lowering said plate seat comprises a vertically movable plate seat, side members having channels formed therein into which said seat extends, and means for remotely controling the raising and lowering of said seat.
 3. The device defined in claim 1 wherein said means for moving said plate comprises a plate seat mounted in vertically anchored channel members, and a hydraulic jack beneath, and in contact with, said seat.
 4. The device defined in claim 1 wherein said platform is divided into two compartments, said compartments being pivotally joined, and one of said compartments having a hinged top.
 5. The method of detecting the lie of a golf club as used by an individual golfer comprising exposing a severable plate to the swing of the golfer''s club and measuRing the trajectory of the club head travel path formed in said plate as said club head passes therethrough. 